For better or for worse (and let’s face it — it’s probably for worse), Fyre Festival is returning. This festival, unlike its predecessor, will involve villas, a private island, and actual musicians… Allegedly.
And to answer that one burning question, it’s a yes. Fyre 2.0 will have cheese sandwiches.
What is the Fyre Festival?
We all know the story of how the festival was a total mis-Fyre, as it failed to meet expectations regarding food (hence the infamous cheese sandwiches), sanitation, lodgings, and musicians. The event was such a failure that the man behind it, Billy McFarland, was imprisoned on fraud charges for four years (though he was sentenced to six.)
However, not enough is said about the role influencers played in the elaborate scam. It’s important to note that, in 2017, influencers were still something of a novel concept — but they played a pivotal role in the marketing of Fyre Festival. Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber were among the 400 influencers who promoted the luxury event on social media.
On the one hand, Fyre was a masterclass in influencer marketing. On the other hand, it eroded the world’s trust in creators in an already precarious climate.
Since then, a lot has changed. The creator economy is worth billions of dollars, and there are more restrictions on how exactly influencers can promote things. For instance, the Federal Trade Commission has added plenty of requirements about ad disclosure and false advertising in recent years.
Still, the dismal failure of the OG Fyre Festival hasn’t stopped the ticket sales from racking up. Last year, the first 100-ticket presale for Fyre II sold out in just one day, with tickets costing $499 a piece. It’s probably due to the event’s notoriety rather than hope in its actual quality.
Nonetheless, perhaps some influencers will end up seduced by the event because of the potential views it could bring. They just need to be careful. After all, if you play with Fyre, you might get burnt.
